Articles by Laila Kearney

Energy Transfer Reports Louisiana Natgas Pipeline Ruptured in July

Energy pipeline operator Energy Transfer has disclosed a pipeline rupture in Louisiana last month that released 8.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, according to a report filed with the U.S. National Response Center. The July 22 leak, the equivalent …

U.S. Working With Colonial Pipeline to Restore Operations After Cyber Attack

The White House was working closely with top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline on Sunday to help it recover from a ransomware attack that forced the company to shut a critical fuel network supplying populous eastern states. The attack …

150 Years of Spills: Philadelphia Refinery Cleanup Reveals Toxic Legacy of Fossil Fuels

Wearing blue hard hats, white hazmat suits and respirator masks, workers carted away bags of debris on a recent morning from a sprawling and now-defunct oil refinery once operated by Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES). Other laborers ripped asbestos from the …

Bankrupt Philadelphia Refiner Seeks $2.5M in Executive Bonuses

The bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refiner is seeking a minimum of $2.5 million in bonus payments to the refiner’s top executives as part of a plan to reorganize or sell the company, U.S. bankruptcy court filings show. This would …

City and Union Officials to Consult on Philadelphia Refinery Sale Process

A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved a process for the sale of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery, the largest and oldest on the East Coast, under which city officials and a trade union will consult on the matter. …

Philadelphia Fire Highlights Dangers of Old Infrastructure at U.S. Refineries

How did a piece of piping installed when Richard Nixon was U.S. president go without once being checked before leading to a fire that devastated the East Coast’s largest and oldest oil refinery? That’s a question safety experts and activists …

Bankrupt Philadelphia Refinery Expects $50M Advanced Insurance Payment

Insurers of a fire-damaged Philadelphia refinery have indicated they would make a $50 million initial advance payment in connection with a June blaze that led to the plant’s closure, court documents showed. The infusion of funds would buy cash-strapped Philadelphia …

Toxic Chemical at PES Refinery Mostly Cleared, Aiding Probe of June Blaze

Most of a highly toxic chemical stored at a fire-damaged Philadelphia oil refinery has been rendered inert, clearing the way for closer inspections of the site following a June blaze that led to the plant’s closure, officials said on Friday. …

PES Up Against the Clock to Sell Philadelphia Refinery in Cash Crunch

Finding a buyer for Philadelphia Energy Solutions’ oil refinery has grown urgent as the bankrupt company’s funds dwindle and no signs emerge that it is winning a fight for insurance payouts after a June blaze at the plant, according to …

Bank Drops Objection to Financing Request by Bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions

A bank dropped its objection on Tuesday to Philadelphia Energy Solutions Inc’s initial bankruptcy requests after the two sides struck an agreement over the terms of new financing. PES filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday after a fire …